Brazilian courts curb online defamation and hate speech

A judge in Santa Catarina ordered former councilor Bruno Souza to delete Instagram Reels and Stories that falsely linked pre‑candidate for state deputy Fábio Botelho to alleged irregularities at the Hotel Social. The court set a daily fine of R$ 500, capped at R$ 20,000, and barred further similar posts, citing potential harm to Botelho’s honour during the pre‑election period.

In a separate case, a federal court in Ribeirão Preto sentenced a popular YouTuber to community service and a R$ 5,000 fine after he posted a video that disparaged the people of Bahia, calling the state “a open‑air asylum.” The ruling upheld the charge of incitement to discrimination under Brazil’s anti‑racism law, emphasizing that freedom of expression does not protect hateful or racist content.